Cowboy Take Me Away (Rough Riders, #16)
Lorelei James
A grumpy/sunshine, insta-love, forbidden romance, family saga told in flashbacks, small town romance from NY Times Bestselling author Lorelei James. An epic love story that spans fifty years…The moment Carson McKay saw the voluptuous blonde at the dance hall he was tempted to throw her over his shoulder, race to the closest church and make her his. Given his reputation as a lover and a fighter—not necessarily in that order—it wasn’t surprising she gave him the cold shoulder. But he definitely wasn’t expecting the right hook when he tried to steal a kiss. Carolyn West might look sweet and innocent, but she’s no fool. The handsome charmer with the beautiful blue eyes and heart-stopping smile didn’t really want to marry her; he just fancied taking her for a test ride. But when he kisses her a second time, she can’t fight her burning attraction to him…until she learns he’s one of the wild McKay cowboys she’s been warned about. Carson doesn’t care about the long-standing feud between the Wests and the McKays—Carolyn owns his heart, body and soul. The more intimate they become, the more Carolyn sees the real man behind the reputation—a man who craves the same forever connection she does…a man who will stay by her side and give her the love of a lifetime.
Publication Year: 2017
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04.5 stars
As much as I ended up loving this series after a bit of a rocky start (see my reviews of Rode Hard, Put Up Wet and Cowgirl Up and Ride), I wasn’t 100% sure I wanted to read this one. I had no interest, for whatever reason, to get Carolyn and Carson’s back story. Boy, am I glad I don’t skip books in a series even when I’m not interested. This was an amazing story.
It’s kind of hard to explain without giving a whole lot away. This story has flashbacks to give us their story from the moment Carson set eyes on Carolyn to 10 years in the future. Along the way we get to catch up on all of their children as well as some of their nieces and nephews. These flashbacks are a wild ride, but also help us to see that this rock-solid couple has had their ups and downs just like anyone else. They are not perfect, and neither is their marriage, no matter what their kids seem to think.
So often in romance we get the HEA and sometimes glimpses of the characters again when it’s a series. They are always the wiser and happier couple than the main characters of the book in which they are making their appearance. This story gives us both the HEA (after all, if you’ve made it this far you’ve read all about Carson’s and Carolyn’s children, nieces, and nephews so know they are still together and happy) and shows us some of the rough patches that came after what would have usually been fade to black moment in their relationship. All of those hard times made me laugh and cry and even swoon. (The part I laughed hardest at was a scene between Cal and Kimi though, so now I’m anxious to read their story.)
No love story is perfect, no person is perfect, no couple is perfect. When we can find perfection in each other’s imperfections, that’s when it’s all worth the time and effort. Again, I’m extremely happy I read this story. It’s quite lovely and close enough to perfection itself.
This review can also be viewed on my book blog All In Good Time.
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